Christopher West, age 20, Private, Capt. P. R. Page’s Company,* enlisted April 20, 1861 at Rowes Store by P. R. Page for 12 months, re-enlisted for the war, February 26, 1862, receipted for an issue of clothing May 3, 1864, signing by an ‘X’, “his mark”, deserted from trenches near Petersburg December 14, 1864 with 1 canteen and haversack, came into Federal lines at Yorktown, received at US Camp Distribution, Camp Hamilton, Va. December 30, forwarded January 5, 1865 to Yorktown, Va., received at Fort Monroe, Va., n.d., description, hazel eyes, black hair, dark complexion, 5’ 5”, resident of Gloucester, Va., subscribed and swore to Oath of amnesty January 20, 1865

Recruited from the 21st Regiment Virginia Militia, Gloucester County.

* This company was successively designated as Captain Page’s Company, Captain Perrin’s {Gloucester Invincibles) Company, and Company F, 26th Regiment Virginia Infantry

M324: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia

…….

It would be interesting to understand why a 4 year veteran would have had enough and go over to the enemy.

Reverend Wiatt might provide a clue as to the state of mind of these veterans. His works appear to be the only books on the 26th Virginia, see:

Wiatt, Alex L. Confederate Chaplain, William Edward Wiatt: An Annotated Diary. Lynchburg, VA: Howard, 1994. 255 p.

Wiatt, Alex L. 26th Virginia Infantry. Lynchburg, VA: Howard, 1984. 82 p.